Editor’s note: It’s Politics reports Saturdays on the ins and outs of Whittier-area politics and city government.

Last week, state Sen. Martha Escutia threw down the gauntlet, accusing editorial page writers and political opponents of misleading the public regarding her bill to provide textbooks geared toward non-English speakers.

This week, Assemblyman Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar, fired back, attacking Democratic supporters of Escutia’s bill, SB 1769, for using what he described as strong-arm tactics in trying to get the bill through the Legislature.

Huff said he didn’t like the fact the Democrats stripped the state Board of Education of funding when the board refused to approve the textbooks.

“It was a small group saying that if it doesn’t go their way, they’re going to play hardball,” Huff said.

Huff said he also does not believe the state Legislature should ever overrule the board. The Legislature’s job is to set policy, while the education board’s job is to implement it, he added.

“This is an elite group of legislators who believe they know better than everybody else,” he said.

So far, though, Huff appears to be losing the battle. The Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved Escutia’s bill on a 13-5 vote.

Escutia has said that when legislators began talking about removing the money from the board’s budget, they thought Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would respond. But he didn’t, she added.

“I’m always willing to negotiate way before the budget was signed,” she said. “Nothing happened. I frankly was shocked that the governor wouldn’t come back and negotiate with us.”

Escutia said she still is willing to negotiate about the best options to teach our students English without lowering standards.

Her bill requires the state education board to develop an approach for teaching reading and writing that incorporates English instruction for non-native speakers.

Advocates envision textbooks and teaching materials that help build vocabulary in an appropriate context.

LEGISLATIVE REPORT: Several bills by Whittier- area legislators took key steps forward this week.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee approved these bills by Escutia:

SB 1205: Would increase penalties on air polluters and use the extra fine money to fund local children’s health programs.

SB 1442: Would include the cost International Baccalaureate exam fees in an existing grant program for economically disadvantaged students that already covers the costs of advanced placement (AP) exam fees.

In addition, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved AB 1935 by Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez, D-Norwalk, which would increase the frequency of railroad inspections.

Meanwhile, the Senate approved AB 2777 by Huff, which would add a number of veterans’ organizations to the five already recognized by state law.